Double Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso invests in Motorsport Games
One of motor racing’s most accomplished talents, Fernando Alonso, has been confirmed as an investor in Motorsport Network’s eSports platform, Motorsport Games. Alongside his equity stake, Alonso will join the board of the company that consolidates Motorsport Network’s premium portfolio of eSports operations.
Motorsport Games brings together the official NASCAR teams’ eSports series, the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, Motorsport Network’s joint-venture with Le Mans in the Le Mans eSport Series, and a recently announced partnership with Codemasters.
Fernando Alonso’s new position as investor and board member of Motorsport Games reflects his early adoption of eSports and he will extend his personal interest to Motorsport Network’s multiple negotiations with other global motorsport series looking to join the Motorsport Games platform.
Motorsport Games is chaired by John Schappert, who led Electronic Arts’ portfolio of studios and franchises including Madden NFL and Need for Speed as the company’s COO. The company’s president, Stephen Hood, brings 20 years of games and eSports experience to the division and was formerly the creative director of Codemasters’ Formula 1 games.
Fernando Alonso said, “eSports is no longer a fantasy, it’s a reality and something I have been passionate about for some time. Investing in, and helping to lead Motorsport Games will allow me to make a real contribution to this exciting aspect of motorsport’s future. eSports are not better or worse, but they are different and one of the important distinctions is that it provides a way to open up motor racing to the fans.
“In all aspects of my motor racing career, whether in F1, in IndyCars or last weekend in Sebring with sportscars, one of the consistent factors all over the world is Motorsport Network. Their scale, as well as their commitment to esports with all of their recent initiatives, convinced me that Motorsport Games is an organisation with great capability and ambition.”